Wolf's body heat
by joshparrilla
Summary: Regina finds out Ruby is in an abusive relationship with Whale and decides to help her. What happens when the Evil Queen decides to help the wolf? (includes violence when it comes to Ruby/Whale's relationship)
1. Chapter 1

Regina sat at the back of the diner wanting not to be seen by her haters in town. She would have stayed at home to have breakfast, but being alone after her mother's death was just too much for her. Every Saturday and Sunday, she'd have breakfast at the dinner and eat Granny's greatest pancakes with strawberries. Once in a while, Ruby would work the morning shift and Regina would stare at her. She enjoyed the wolf's long legs and how flirty she usually was. But that morning, things were different. When Regina looked at Ruby she saw a huge bruise covering her left eye and a small cut on her upper lip. Something inside told her the wolf was not as tough as she seemed.

"Granny, may I ask you something?" Regina said as she watched Granny set her plate on the table. "It's about Ruby."  
"Go ahead."  
"What happened to her?"  
Granny looked at Ruby and Regina could see the pain in her eyes. "I can't talk to you about it. I'm sorry."  
"Granny, I know you hate me as much as everyone else in town, but I can actually help you…help Ruby."  
"Why would you want to do that?"  
"Because she's been nice to me lately, not barking at me like the rest of them."  
"Barking? Nice use of words." She snorted and sat in front of Regina. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone."  
"No one talks to me, don't know if you've noticed that."  
"I mean, you cannot go to Ruby and tell her you know or show her you want to help."  
"It will stay between us, I promise."  
"She's dating Whale and he…" Granny's eyes filled with tears and Regina immediately understood what was going on. "He hits her. Apparently, he gets drunk every night and goes back home to smack my granddaughter like a boxing bag."  
"Why hasn't she left him?"  
"She is afraid of what he can do if she walks away. And I can't help her if she doesn't let me."  
"Have you talked to David about it? As much as I hate him, he is good when it comes to protecting people."  
"Ruby doesn't want anyone to know."  
"And what exactly does she tell people when she has bruises all over her face?"  
"That it happened when she last transformed and it takes time for the marks to go away. No one really believes her but they are all too scared to do something." Granny let out a low growl that could prove she had been a tough wolf back in her time.  
"Thank you for telling me, Granny."  
"Regina, you cannot do anything about it."  
"I won't stand around while he smacks her!" Regina got really upset; someone had to do something for Ruby before she ended up dead. "I will find a way to help her."

After her talk with Granny, Regina knew she had to do something for Ruby. Abusive relationships always ended up badly and she didn't want that for Ruby. The wolf had been mean to her before but now she was suffering and no one deserved that. Before she left the diner, she pulled Ruby to the back and decided she was going to show her support, even if that went against what Granny had said.

"Ruby, I can help you."  
"You can help me? What are you talking about, Regina?"  
"I know what's going on." Without thinking about it, she touched Ruby's bruised eye carefully. "He doesn't have to keep doing this to you."  
"I have no idea what you are talking about."  
"You know exactly what I mean." They looked at each other for a few seconds. "If you need somewhere to stay, to be away from him, my house is always open for you."  
"Why are you trying to help me?"  
"Because no one deserves this, Ruby. I am not as bad as you think, I have good in me and that good is telling me the right thing to do is offer my help; you can take it or leave it."  
"Thank you, but I'm fine. I don't need your help."

Ruby sat on her couch dreading the moment Whale would come home smelling of tequila. She kept thinking about what Regina said _"if you need somewhere to stay, to be away from him, my house is always open for you"_. Why was Regina trying to help her? She had never before been good to her. Regina walked around town calling her wolf and always making snarky comments about her. In the past, they had fought each other over Snow White and she could have never imagined the Evil Queen would be the one to come forward offering help. All her friends knew what was going on but none of them had the courage to confront Whale and take her out of that messy situation. The only person who wasn't her friend, that could actually be called her enemy, was trying to help.

"I'm coming!" Regina said as she rushed downstairs trying to put her robe on. "Ruby? Oh my god Ruby, are you okay?" She said as she opened the door and saw Ruby's face and arm covered in blood. "Come in."  
"You…you said I could come here."  
"Of course." Slowly and trying not to harm her, Regina walked Ruby to the couch and made her sit down. "I'm going to get my emergency kit."

Regina ran to her bathroom to get everything she needed to help Ruby. She needed a few seconds to recover from what she had just seen. There was a large cut on Ruby's forehead and another one on her arm, she was sure stitches were needed. All she wanted to do was use all her magic to hurt Whale. How could he do that to his girlfriend? She knew men could be jerks, but she never imagined someone in town would do that.

"Does that hurt?" She asked as she cleaned the forehead cut.  
"Nothing hurts anymore."  
"Ruby, we have to call Miss Swan and file a report against him."  
"No, please no. I came here because you offered your help, but I don't want the rest of them to know what happened."  
"Can you at least tell me what happened?"  
"I was sitting on the couch watching TV when he walked in. The smell of tequila was stronger than any other night and as soon as he stumbled into the living room I knew I was going to get hit really hard. But…" she started crying, "I didn't expect the bottle he threw against my forehead. It broke in a million pieces and, well you can see the cut. When I started bleeding out, he grabbed me and smacked my face. I started crying and begged him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. He never listens. Not even when I cry or growl. And he saw my tears and that's when he got really mad. He grabbed a piece of glass and did the cut on my arm."

By the time Ruby finished telling the story of what had happened, Regina's eyes were filled with tears. She finished cleaning both her cuts and, gently, pulled Ruby into a hug. It felt awkward at the beginning, but the wolf soon gave in and allowed the Mayor to hug her for the longest two minutes of her life. Regina's arms felt like the only protection she had in her life and she did not want to lose that.

"You will stay here tonight and tomorrow morning I will call Granny. You cannot go to work looking like this and you shouldn't really move your arm. I think you need stitches, but I know you don't want to go to the hospital, so we'll just keep an eye on the cuts and see how they heal."  
"Why are you doing this for me? I've been nothing but mean to you."  
"On the contrary dear, you've been nice to me. You are the only one who treats me with respect and that's all I need." She flashed her a small smile. "My guest room has been used as my magic room so you can't sleep there and I don't let anyone sleep in Henry's room, so, if it's okay with you, we'll have to share a bed."  
"I can sleep on the couch."  
"Nonsense. You need a good night sleep. I don't mind sharing my bed, really."  
"Thank you."  
"You're very welcome. Now let's get you upstairs."

Regina wrapped an arm around Ruby's waist and helped her walk up the stairs. She could see how broken the other woman was and for some weird reason all she wanted to do was help her. Ruby looked so fragile, something that had never happened before. What bothered her the most was that none of Ruby's so called friends had helped her or even tried to stop Whale from hurting her. What kind of friends were they?

Slowly and carefully, trying not to cause any pain, Regina laid Ruby on the bed. She brought more pillows so she could rest her arm and made sure Ruby was comfortable. For a minute, she found herself staring at the younger woman wondering what it would be like to hold her close, to protect her like no one had been able to.

"Do you need anything else?"  
"Yes."  
"What is it dear?"  
"I was wondering if you could lay here with me."  
"That was the plan. It's still my bed after all."  
Ruby managed to let out a small laugh. "Don't try to take advantage of me, Madame Mayor."  
"I would never do that."

Regina got under the covers and she could feel the heat coming out of Ruby's body. She had heard stories about wolf's body heat but she never believed them. Now, as this beautiful wolf rested her body next to hers, Regina knew that wolf body heat was the truest thing she had ever heard about. Ruby's heat was overwhelming, but for some reason she liked it. It felt nice.

"I didn't really expect a wolf's body heat to be so high."  
"Does it bother you? Because if it does, I can sleep on the couch."  
"No, it doesn't bother me." Regina looked over at her. "I was wondering if I could move closer to you."  
"Of course. I don't bite…well, I only bite when I'm my wolf self."

The Evil Queen moved closer to the wolf wrapping an arm around her waist. Ruby's body heat made her feel warm and fuzzy inside and for some reason she didn't want that moment to end. Regina found herself wondering what it would feel like to kiss the young woman.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina heard a loud knock on the door while she was making breakfast, immediately she knew it was Granny. She called the older woman as soon as she had woken up, letting her know Ruby had been hurt but she was safe. Granny growled throughout the whole conversation, which kept Regina wondering if Granny had been a big kind of wolf. For the way she acted around her granddaughter, the Mayor knew, Granny would give anything to save Ruby.

"Your grandma is here."  
"You really shouldn't call her grandma, she hates it because it makes her feel old."  
"She is old."  
"Regina open the damn door!" Granny yelled from outside.  
"She can hear everything you say." Ruby laughed as she ate her breakfast.  
"Grandma," Regina said as she opened the door, "come in before you get a cold."  
"Grandma my pretty wolf ass."

Regina let out a genuine laugh. Granny was the kind of person she wanted on her side; she would have made a great wolf soldier during the Evil Queen's reign. Even though they had always been "enemies", Regina had a great deal of respect for the older woman. She saw Granny as someone who protected what she loved no matter what the consequences were. But when they had talked yesterday at the diner, she looked fragile, just like Ruby had looked the previous night. That made Regina think that maybe, Granny had gone through something similar when she was younger.

"Why didn't you call me last night?!" Granny demanded as soon as she saw Ruby. "Regina, you should have called me."  
"I knew you were going to freak out and that was the last thing your granddaughter needed. She was already shaken up to have you and your grandma worries all over her."  
"Stop calling me grandma, you ain't much younger than me."  
"Old women, stop fighting please. I am trying to enjoy my breakfast without fights or stupid apologize over how drunk you were and how you didn't mean to smack the hell out of me." Ruby's grip around her cup of coffee tightened as she spoke about her usual mornings. "I can't go back there, Granny."  
Granny turned around to look at Regina. "Could you give us a minute?"  
"No." Ruby said before Regina could even star talking. "She stays."  
"I have something important to tell you, Ruby. Something I have no intention on the Evil Queen listening to."  
"Evil Queen or not, she is the only person who's been brave enough to help me. Whatever you have to say, you say it in front of Regina."

Ruby had no idea why she had reacted that way when she heard Granny asking Regina to leave. For some reason she felt that she couldn't leave Regina's side. Last night, as they held each other close, she understood that she was grateful the older woman had showed up to save her. The Evil Queen had become her savior and from that moment on, the wolf owed her everything in her life. She wouldn't let Whale hit her anymore; she wouldn't let anyone bring her down like they always did. Ruby Lucas wanted to stand up for herself and she knew she could only do that if she had Regina Mills by her side.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Ruby." Granny held her granddaughter's hand with hers. "But there is a reason why I couldn't react to Whale's actions."  
"Maybe I should leave you two alone." Regina said, knowing what was going to be said next.  
Ruby shook her head. "Whatever Granny has to say, she can say it in front of you. I need you by my side."  
"When I was younger, I used to date an awful man."  
"Grandpa?"  
"No, before your grandpa came along. I was a young woman trying to escape my monsters. Since I was a little girl, I've known that I had the wolf side in me. I was brought up a special way, my mother was the one to blame for my wolf and my dad couldn't get used to it. He would always blame my mom for creating such a terrible monster. And that's what I've always thought I was…a monster." Granny made a pause trying to push all the horrible memories from her past away. "I was so grateful for this curse, because I was able to forget all the things that have happened in my life." She looked at Regina. "That's the only thing I can thank the curse for, taking my awful past away. Anyway, I ran away from my house. I wanted to put my past behind me and I thought I would be able to control the wolf and lead a normal life. That's when I met him. He's name was Robert. He was the most handsome man I've seen in my life and I was attracted to him. In him I found the home that I had left behind, but later on I realized I was wrong about it. I was wrong about who I thought he was."  
"Granny, I don't think I want to listen to this."  
"You have to know, Ruby, that you are not alone." Granny wiped her tears away. "One night, I was waiting for him at the house in which we lived, and he walked in, drunk. He yelled at me some terrible things about who I was and the things I've done as a wolf. Before I knew it, he was on top of me and was punching me on the face. I couldn't see straight because of how he had hit me and I could feel the blood running down my cheek. He saw I was crying and he heard my begs for him to stop, but instead he kept hitting me. Telling me I had to pay for the monster I was and for all the things I had done or would do as a wolf. I tried to push him away but he was too strong for me." Ruby held Granny's hand tight as she cried listening to the hell her grandma had gone through, the same hell she went through almost every night. "Luckily, my growls scared him. So I growled as loud as I could and moved away from him. I ran out of that house and I never looked back. When I met your grandfather, I buried all those memories in the deepness of my heart and I never mentioned it to him or to anyone else. That's why when I saw what Whale had done to you I felt helpless. I wanted to protect you because you are my whole life and I can't let anything happen to you. But, as tough as I may seem, I was scared of what he might do. I am so sorry Ruby."  
"Granny." Ruby hugged her grandma with her good arm. "I don't blame you for not stopping him. I know how hard this is. This is only his fault; he is the bad guy in this story."

Regina felt like she shouldn't be there, like the two women should be left alone to the privacy of their feelings. She had no right to know Granny's story. But listening to every single word that had been said, she regretted every single confrontation she had ever had with Granny or every bad thing she had said to her or ever trying to bring her down. Regina knew how people could be when you just showed a side of yourself and didn't let them know your whole story. After hearing this painful story, she understood that everyone in town had a past that they wanted to get rid of. With the curse they had been able to forget about it but as soon as the curse had been broken, their past lives and memories, all the pain they've buried, had galloped back into their life like furious horses that had been kept captive.

"What do we do now?" Ruby asked and you could sense the desperation in her voice. "He won't let me go that easily."  
"I won't let him hurt you. He won't touch you again." Regina said as she rested her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I promise you, he will not be able to come near you."  
"We should file a report against him and let Emma and David handle it." Granny suggested.  
"I don't feel comfortable by giving them that responsibility. They've seen your granddaughter hurt and in pain, and they've all chosen to turn their heads around and pretend nothing has happened. I'm sorry but I won't let them handle this. That's ridiculous."  
"We can't handle it ourselves, Regina."  
"Granny is right, Gina." As the Mayor heard the wolf calling her Gina, a warm feeling took over her heart. "You have no idea what he's capable of."  
"I saw you at your worst last night, Ruby. I do know what he is capable of. On the contrary, he has no idea what I'm capable of."  
"I am not going to let you risk your life to protect me!"  
"I didn't ask for your permission, dear. I will handle this and I will make sure he never hurts you again."  
"Regina, you can't do anything stupid." Granny said. "You cannot let him get to you, because if he does, he will end up hurting you both."  
"I'm not gonna be like the rest of the town and stand by while Ruby gets hurt. They were supposed to be her friends and protect her, but they didn't. So now it's my turn to protect her and do what no one has done."

As Granny heard Regina talk about Ruby, she knew that every word she said was true. For some weird and illogical reason, the Evil Queen was trying to protect her little wolf. She had seen Ruby break down over and over again because of everything Whale had done to her. Always knowing that she was acting like a helpless grandma and failing her granddaughter. Never did she understand why the rest of the town, her friends, weren't doing a thing to try and get Ruby out of her problems. She knew they cared about Ruby, but they hadn't acted that way the last month. And here she was standing in the mayoral house in front of a Regina who was determined to make Whale pay for everything he had done. Granny had to admit she was shocked by Regina's actions but she was grateful Ruby had someone that cared for her.

"Okay, I better go back to the diner and check on the girls. Call me if you need anything, sweetie." She said as she kissed her granddaughter's cheek. "Take care of her, Regina."  
"With my life."  
"You will pay with your life if something happens to her."

When Granny was gone, Regina washed the dishes from breakfast and tried to avoid Ruby for a few. She knew she had completely exposed herself when she said she would do anything to protect the wolf. Last night, as she watched Ruby sleep, she kept thinking why she felt the need to protect her. Could it be because she hadn't been able to protect Daniel? Could it be because she had failed as a mother to Henry? Could it be because she had lost her mother and wanted someone to love her? She didn't know why, but she wouldn't let anything bad happen to Ruby. She couldn't let the wolf down.

"Your body heat gives you a way dear; I know you're standing right behind me." Regina laughed as she put away the last plates from breakfast. "Your grandma scares me sometimes and her body heat is way higher than yours."  
"That's probably because she's an older wolf. But you shouldn't be afraid of her, she wouldn't hurt a fly."  
"I respect her and she respects me, that's how our relationship works."  
"You respect Granny?"  
"Of course I do." She turned around to face Ruby. "She raised you by herself and still kept her badass reputation. I have a great deal of respect for that woman. I wish she had been on my side back at home."  
"She would have never betrayed us."  
"And that's what I respect most about her."  
"Why do you want to help me, Regina?"  
"I told you last night, dear, no one deserves to be treated this way."  
"That can't be the only reason."  
"Well, don't burn your brain trying to figure out what I'm hiding because you won't find a thing. All I want is to get you far from Whale and make sure this never happens again."  
"I'm not Daniel, you know."  
"What are you talking about, Ruby? Daniel has nothing to do with this."  
"I know your story with him and I know your mother killed him in front of you. You don't have to protect me because you feel guilty you couldn't save him."  
"What happened to Daniel was the most horrible thing I had to go through in my life. But I don't blame myself anymore. I am not trying to protect you because I couldn't save him. I have no feelings for you Miss Lucas; I am just trying to do the right thing."  
"You have no feelings for me?" Ruby wrapped her good arm around Regina's waist. "So you holding me close last night was just because you had no feelings for me? You didn't feel a thing when you cuddled me and made sure I wasn't in pain?"  
"I did all those things just to make sure you weren't hurting, Ruby. I assure you I have no feelings for you." She said as she stepped backwards.  
"Then why are you getting so uncomfortable? Why is your heart beating so fast?"  
"You don't intimidate me, wolf."  
"Calling me wolf won't push me away. It's actually a turn on when you say it."  
"Ruby!" She started laughing. "I am not trying to turn you on."  
"What are you trying to do then?"  
"Protect you from a monster." Regina kissed her cheek. "If I wanted to get into your pants, you would already know it."

Ruby watched Regina walk away and she felt inside herself that she wanted to sleep with the older woman. She wanted to feel her touch. She wanted to feel her kisses along her body. She wanted to feel loved by her. Obviously, Regina wasn't the kind of person who went around showing her love for others, but Ruby wanted to try and gain her love. She wouldn't give up that easily. Sooner or later the Evil Queen would end up falling for the wolf.


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter contains more violence than the rest of them. I had to do it in order to get to show Ruby and Whale's relationship completely. Thank you for reading and reviews are very very welcomed.**

"Don't you think it's too soon to go back?" Regina asked as she watched Ruby getting dressed. "You haven't let your arm heal."  
"You can heal it with your magic, right?"  
"I can, but that's not the point."  
"Please, Regina. Just use your magic for something good and heal my arm. I want to go back to work, I have to go back to work."  
"Why?"  
"Because I don't want to be the weak little wolf that didn't know how to protect herself."  
"No one thinks that, Ruby."  
"Just do this for me, please."

Regina took a deep breath before using her magic on Ruby's cut. Slowly a ray of purple light shone over her arm and the wound that had been there the last two days was finally gone. For the first time in a really long time, she had used her magic to do something good and that felt great. She was proud of herself for all the things she had done to help Ruby. And deep down inside herself, she knew she wanted Henry to know everything she had done; she wanted her son to be proud of her for the first time in his life.

"Thank you, Madame Mayor."  
"You're very welcome, dear."  
"Still no feelings for me?"  
"I don't want to hurt you but no, no feelings for you." Regina said as she kissed Ruby's cheek. "Just look at me as your savior, not your lover."  
"Lover sounds much better than savior. Plus it would make one hell of a story. The Evil Queen rescues the wolf from her abusive boyfriend and together they live happily ever after."  
"I don't know if you've noticed, Miss Lucas, but I am not the kind of person who gets the happily ever after in her life."  
"You could." Ruby caressed Regina's cheek with her thumb and felt a weird excitement run through her veins; she wanted to kiss Regina. "Maybe rescuing me is your happily ever after."  
"I doubt it." She looked at the younger woman and knew that, even though she would never admit it, she had feelings for her. "You deserve a happily ever after, but that's not with me. I'm the Evil Queen and you are Snow White's best friend."  
"Who said we can't break the rules?"  
"There are no rules, Ruby. That's just how life works. Good people marry good people, bad people live alone for the rest of their lives."  
"You really think that about yourself?"  
"It's just the truth. After all, I am the Evil Queen."

Ruby couldn't focus at work and she knew there were two reasons for that. Number one was that she was afraid Whale would walk into the diner any minute and do something to harm her. He had been calling her every two minutes for the past day and she hadn't returned his calls. She was afraid of what he might do if he found out she had been staying at Regina's; she knew how much Whale hated Regina. Number two was the fact that all she wanted to do was kiss Regina. Since her first night staying at the Mayor's house, when they had been cuddling, she knew inside herself that, no matter what happened next in her life, she wanted to be with Regina. She knew how broken Regina was and at this point in her life, she was broken too. Two broken people could make a great match if they helped each other. All she wanted to do was help the Evil Queen.

Regina was working on some town paperwork when the door of her office was opened. She wasn't expecting any visitors, no one ever wanted to see her, and a tiny light of hope appeared in her heart when she thought Henry might be the one walking into her office. But when she looked up from her desk, she saw David Nolan standing in front of her. She didn't understand why Prince Charming wanted to see her, they were obviously not friends. His visit surprised her a lot.

"To what do I owe this charming surprise?" Regina asked playing with her words.  
"I want to talk to you about Ruby." David sat across from her. "I know she's been staying at your house."  
"And that is really none of your business, dear."  
"I know and I know what you might think of me right now. Pretty sure it's the same I think about myself. I was so stupid and didn't protect Ruby."  
"Oh I agree, but I would use a word a bit stronger than stupid to describe you right now."  
"Look, we've never gotten along but I believe that now we can fight for Ruby together."  
"I don't plan on doing anything with you, Mr. Nolan."  
"Regina, I want to help her as much as you do."  
"Oh really? Because I helped Ruby as soon as I saw what had happened to her, but you didn't. From what I was told, you've seen her hurt and full of bruises for a long time but you and your stupid little wife didn't do anything to protect her. I'm really glad I don't have you as my friend."  
"I was an idiot because I thought that she was strong enough to defend herself but now that I see how badly he has hurt her, I understand that I should have done something."  
"You were a jerk, David!" She stood up to file some papers and avoided looking at him; she was so mad at him. "You saw a woman who has always fought to defend you and your wife, you saw how hurt she was, you saw all the pain that was going through her body and still you did nothing. You and your wife, you always say how you fight for the good things, this time you didn't and that is disgusting."  
"I am here offering my help now, Regina. I want to help Ruby and I know I can do it if you help me."  
"I am not doing anything with you. Now I am the one who is protecting Miss Lucas and I can do that on my own. If she came to me that night, it's because she trusted I could help her. And she knew I wouldn't turn my back at her when she needed me the most."  
David stood up and walked closer to Regina, he didn't want her to know how intimidated he felt by her presence. "I won't make you do anything you don't want to do, but you should know that if you need my help to protect Ruby, I'm here."  
"I don't need your help, I've never needed your help for anything."  
"Well, maybe this time we can do something together to protect a person we both care about."  
"You have no idea who I care or don't care about."  
"I know you are the Evil Queen and you're coming out of your comfort zone to protect someone that in the past was against you. That tells me that, even if you won't admit it, you care about Ruby. I know you would never let anything happen to her, I can see it in your eyes."

David saw how Regina's eyes didn't look as hard as they always did. There was softness in them that he had only seen when the Mayor spoke to her son. She would never admit it, but he knew that there was something special between her and Ruby. The woman he knew back at home, would have never done such a thing to protect someone she considered her enemy, but then again he felt like he didn't really know this woman. After Cora's death and after they found out Snow's heart was darkening, Regina had stayed away from them and only saw them when she wanted to meet with Henry. She was, in a way, behaving and now she was protecting one of their friends. Charming believed Regina was capable of good things if she let the tiny sparkle of goodness in her heart shine out to the world.

"Is there anything else I could do for you, dear?"  
"Just call me if you need help handling Whale. I know you have magic and you are a strong woman, but he is an abusive man and I would hate to know that he has hurt both you and Ruby. Don't do anything stupid."  
"You do not have to worry about me, Prince Charming. I'm a big girl and know how to take care of myself." She looked directly into his eyes challenging him to say something else. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my paperwork."  
"Of course. You know where to find me, if you need help."

As the door shut behind David, Regina could feel the anger inside of her growing and growing. How dare he walk into his office to tell her he was now available to help Ruby? He had never done a single thing to protect her and now he was saying he had been an idiot, with what she agreed, and should have done something else. Of course he should have done something else; he should have protected Ruby when he had the chance. But she was not going to fall for his charming personality; she would not run to him asking for help. She knew she could protect Ruby on her own, she didn't need anyone else.

Whale was so pissed his whole body was shaking and he knew it was really bad because not even the large bottle of vodka was helping him calm down. Ruby hadn't returned any of his calls and she hadn't slept home in two nights. He knew he had hurt her badly when he saw the blood running through her cheek but he understood she deserved it. And now, whenever he found her, he would make her pay for leaving him all this time. She had no idea who she was messing with and he would show her as soon as he found her. Rumors reached his ears that she had been staying at Regina's house; he wanted to smack the hell out of Ruby for staying at the house of someone he really hated. Oh god he just wanted to put his hands on her and let her know he was the boss. As he drove around town, his blurry vision barely allowing to see straight, he saw, or at least thought he did, Ruby working at the diner. That was his chance, it was his moment to go get her and show her who he really was.

"Ruby!" He yelled as he stumbled into the diner.

She panicked as soon as she saw him walking through that door. Granny wasn't working today and Regina was probably at her office, which meant none of them could help her get away from him. Her wolf nose told her he had been drinking more than ever, which meant she wouldn't be able to talk to him and keep him from hurting her. She just wished she could disappear and be at Regina's house.

"Whale there's no need to yell, I'm here." She walked up to him and dragged him to the back of the diner. "You are going to scare the costumers, so please keep your voice down."  
"Why haven't you returned any of my calls?"  
"I've been busy. I was going to call you later when I was done with my shift."  
"You are lying to me!"  
"I'm not, please don't yell."  
"You've been staying at Regina's and you know how much I hate her!"

Without thinking about it, Whale grabbed a frying pan that was near him and hit Ruby on the head with it. He could see blood running down her forehead, but that didn't stop him from smacking her head against the floor. He wanted to make sure she was unconscious. Quickly he picked her up and threw her onto his shoulder; like that, he walked out through the back of the diner and got her into his car. He wasn't thinking straight and he had no idea what to do with the woman that he had just hit. As he drove away from the diner, he finished the vodka bottle and by then he couldn't really see where he was driving through. He wasn't panicking but he was worried someone would catch him with an unconscious Ruby on the backseat. As fast as he could, he drove to the hospital and once he was there, he dragged her body to the further area, where he had brought Daniel back to life.

When Ruby woke up, she felt an excruciating pain on her head and she immediately realized she was tied to a chair. She wanted to cry but she knew that would show weakness and she didn't want to give him that. She didn't want him to know how he had broken her. Whale was nowhere to be seen, which meant he was probably out buying more alcohol, and she didn't recognize the room in which she was being held captive. Oh how she wished Regina could help her right now. No one would know she was missing, not until Granny called for her or Regina went to pick her up at the diner. She didn't know what time it was, but she knew it was still daytime so she was stuck there for a couple of hours until someone finally realized she was missing.

"Whale, let me go." She said softly as soon as he walked back into the room. "We can go home and pretend this never happened."  
"Do you think I'm that stupid?!"  
"I don't think you are stupid. I think you love me and you have a weird way of showing it."  
"I don't want to hurt you, Ruby, but you keep asking for it."  
"I didn't ask for this!" Ruby yelled as the tears started rolling down her face. "Do you seriously think I want to be punched every night? You hit me with a frying pan and you think I wanted that?"  
"You misbehave and I have to teach you how to behave properly."  
"I don't misbehave, Whale. I didn't go back to your house because you cut my forehead and my arm. I stayed away from you because I don't want to get hurt anymore."  
"I don't hurt you, I love you. I'm just teaching you that life is hard."  
"You are fucking crazy!"  
"Shut up, bitch!"

Ruby wasn't fast enough to move her face and he had been able to slap her, once again. She could feel the soreness of her lip and she knew she would need stitches on her head thanks to the way he had hit her back at the diner. Before she could react, he was punching her on the face and she could no longer feel any pain. She felt herself giving up as his hand hit her over and over again. There was nothing she could do to move away from him and it hurt her to know that no one would find out she was there. For a moment she thought she was going to die if he kept hitting her and a tiny part of her wished she could die right there. But when she was losing all her hope, she heard Regina's voice in her head telling her that she would protect her. It was stupid to think the Mayor could save her, but it was the only thing that kept her going.

"Madame Mayor." Regina said as she answered her phone.  
"Regina…" Granny said between sobs, "Ruby is missing."  
"What do you mean she's missing?"  
"She's not at the diner and when I walked to the back to see if I could find her, I saw blood on the floor. I think he took her."  
"I'm on my way to the diner, do not move just in case she goes back."  
"Hurry up!"  
"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Regina felt her hands shaking as she drove, as fast as her old Mercedes allowed her to, to the diner. She tried to think of all the places Whale could take Ruby but nothing came to her mind. Now she felt guilty because she hadn't called her during the morning or hadn't gone to the diner to check on her. Ruby was a strong woman, but she had promised to protect her and she had failed. She had to find her as soon as possible…before something terrible happened to her. As she parked outside the diner, something came to her mind. She had to call David and ask for his help; she hated that idea but she had to find Ruby quickly.

"Hello?"  
"David, it's Regina."  
"What can I do for you?"  
"He has taken Ruby. She's missing and Granny saw blood on the diner's floor."  
"Where are you right now?"  
"I'm outside the dinner about to meet with Granny."  
"I will meet you two there. We will find her, Regina."  
"Thank you."  
"I told you I would help you. Our differences don't matter anymore; we are in this together to help Ruby. And I'm sorry I wasn't able to help her earlier."  
"Just help me find her right now, that's all I'm asking of you. I will handle Whale on my own."  
"I will help you find her, don't worry."

Whale saw how Ruby passed from consciousness to unconsciousness every two seconds. She had a black eye and blood coming out of her mouth. He had really hurt her this time and that made him feel like he had finally showed her who was the boss. As he looked at her, he knew she was about to pass out.

He grabbed her face with his hands and whispered in her ear, "You are not leaving me. Not ever, you weak wolf."


	4. Chapter 4

"We have to find her." Granny said as she sat down trying to pull herself together. "God knows what he'll do to her."  
"Granny, I promise you I will make him pay for what he's done." Regina said as she walked back and forth through the diner.  
"On my way here, I stopped at his house but they weren't there." David looked at both women and could feel how desperate they were. "I have no idea where Whale could take Ruby."  
"He's probably drunk as hell so he shouldn't be thinking straight, that should be easier for us to find where he has my granddaughter."

For a minute David got lost in his thoughts. He remembered a few months back when Whale had brought Daniel back to life. He didn't really know where it had happened, since it was Regina the one who found Whale bleeding out. For some reason, he had the feeling Whale would go back there. If he had felt safe enough to bring someone back to life there, he sure as hell felt sure enough to try and kill someone there as well. He didn't want to tell Granny or Regina, but he knew if they didn't find Ruby soon, he would end up killing her.

"Regina where did Daniel attack Whale?"  
"Watch it Charming! Daniel didn't attack Whale, he couldn't control his actions. And now that I think about it, he should have killed the bastard." Regina said trying to protect the only person that had truly loved her.  
"I really don't give a damn whether Daniel attacked him or not, I just want to know where it happened."  
"Why?"  
"Because I have the feeling he took Ruby there." He looked at both women. "Look, back then he felt that place was secure enough to try and bring Daniel to life. That means he feels safe in that place and that he is the boss. That place gives him some sort of power. Which means that if he wants to show Ruby the kind of man that he is, he will take her there because that's his place. Back at his home, Ruby can find ways to escape or even try to talk him out of hurting her. But if he takes her somewhere she's never been, he will be the one with the power and she won't be able to find ways to escape him."  
"He took Daniel's body to the east area of the hospital. There are a few abandoned rooms there and he uses that place for his "experiments". So, maybe that's where he took Ruby."  
"Okay, let's go find her."  
"I'm coming with you!" Granny exclaimed.  
"Granny it could be dangerous."  
"David, I don't care. She's my granddaughter and I am going to protect her, or at least try to save her from him."  
"She's right David, she should come with us. We could use her wolf nose to track Ruby down."  
"Fine, let's go."

All three of them got into David's truck. He was the one driving, Regina was right next to him and Granny was looking out the window. They were all worried about Ruby, but Regina felt guilty about what was going on. She believed she could have been able to stop Whale, had she been there with Ruby at the diner. If Ruby died, it would be on her. Earlier that morning, when they've discussed about her going back to work, Regina knew it wasn't the best idea. She could hear Ruby's phone every time Whale called her and every time the younger woman pressed ignore, Regina knew Whale got angrier and angrier. Now he was, sure drunk as hell, in some random place beating the hell out of Ruby. All she wanted to do was find the young woman and take her home. She would deal with Whale another day.

"Regina, she will be okay." David squeezed the Mayor's hand, something that took her off guard and surprised her. "We won't let anything bad happen to her."  
"I am pretty sure he has already hurt her. We don't know how long she's been missing and for how long has he had her trapped." She moved her hand away to regain her confidence. "All I want to do is find Ruby and make sure she gets medical treatment."  
"Maybe that's not necessary."  
"I doubt that. He's been using her as a punching bag for the last month and now Ruby has totally ignored him. So yes, I'm sure she will need to go to the hospital." Regina looked at Granny and then whispered to David. "I just hope she's alive."  
Granny looked at her. "I have wolf hearing; I can hear you even if you are miles away. I know Ruby is alive, I can feel it in me. She is strong and she won't give up."  
"Women, let's just hope for the best, okay? We will find Ruby and make sure she's okay."  
"I will deal with Whale another day." Regina said looking straight on to the road. "You leave him to me and I will make him pay."

Granny knew, with each word Regina pronounced, that Ruby was lucky to have the older woman in her life. Since the first time she had told Regina about Whale's abuse towards Ruby, she knew the Mayor wouldn't leave her granddaughter alone. It felt weird to know that The Evil Queen was the one fighting to save the wolf's life; no one would have ever thought this time in their lives would come. Back at home, this would have never happened. Something told Granny that Regina had feelings for Ruby and, after everything that had happened in the last days, she would never be against the two of them dating. On the contrary, she would encourage Ruby to try and gain the Queen's love.

As he drove to the hospital, David had a lot of things in his mind. First of all, he couldn't believe he was on the same side as Regina. He would have never thought he was going to team up with The Evil Queen to try and save one of his friends. Shame took over him as he thought the coward he had been the last month not standing up to defend Ruby. But, his wolf friend was lucky enough to have someone that cared about her so much. Secondly, he felt proud of Regina. He didn't really know this woman but now he saw a side of her that he had never seen before. He couldn't wait to share with Henry all the amazing things his mom had done in the last few days. Last but not least, he just wanted to find Ruby alive. Most abusive relationships ended up badly and he couldn't imagine what would happen to Granny if that was the case with Ruby…what would happen to Regina if they found out Ruby was dead.

She felt the hard grip of her own hands against her arms. She had her arms wrapped around herself and all he could think about was Ruby. Regina found herself praying, something she had never done before, for the younger woman to be okay. God help Whale if he had killed Ruby, no one would be able to stop her if something like that happened. She would kill Whale. As a matter of fact, she already wanted to kill the bastard. As soon as she made sure Ruby was okay, she would go after him and make him suffer the same way he had made her wolf suffer. Her wolf. That was the first time she thought about Ruby as her own. As the minutes went by, Regina found herself wanting to be in a relationship with Ruby. She wanted to protect this woman with her life and wanted to make sure she would never suffer again.

"We are here." David said as he parked outside. "Maybe you two should stay here and I will go get Ruby."  
"Over my dead body! I am going there to get my granddaughter, David."  
"I agree with Granny. We are all going in. She is in there because none of us was able to protect her and I won't sit in your truck waiting for you to get her."  
"I just think that maybe you shouldn't see her if she's too hurt."  
"David, she is my blood and I won't leave her alone."

In the meantime, Whale sat in the corner of the room drinking his third bottle of vodka. After the second bottle, he wasn't worried about Ruby anymore. He could see her weak body tied up to the chair in an unconscious state. She hadn't moved after he punched her repeatedly and at the beginning he was worried he might have killed her. But when he felt her breathing, the worried disappeared and all he cared about was finishing his vodka. There was blood all over her clothes and he knew, as a doctor, that she needed medical attention, but he wouldn't take her to the hospital. If he did, he would have to explain what had happened and he knew they would all blame him, even if he lied about it.

Slowly, the three of them walked through the dark hallways to the further area of the hospital. Granny used her wolf nose to track Ruby's smell. She could smell blood and knew that it belonged to her granddaughter. None of them spoke as they walked; they just followed Granny as she led the way. They were trying to picture what they would see once they finally found Ruby. Knowing she wouldn't look okay, the three of them tried to imagine the worst case scenario, just to be ready for reality.

"Whale move away from her!" David said as they found the room. "Get away NOW!"  
"What the hell are you doing here?! This is my girlfriend and I can do whatever!"  
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Granny said as she pushed Whale away. "This is the last time you hurt my granddaughter."

David grabbed Whale's arm as he was about to hit Granny. The doctor was panicking and all he could think about was hitting more people. Regina didn't pay attention to them, she ran directly to Ruby. She freaked out the minute she saw the younger woman. Ruby's face was covered in blood and she could see a few cuts along her cheeks and forehead. As fast as she could, she untied the wolf and pulled her into a big hug. She had to make sure Ruby was still alive.

"Ruby open your eyes for me." She looked at the unconscious woman. "Please wolfy, open your eyes and show me you are okay." Regina started crying as she saw Ruby didn't wake up. "Come on Ruby! Open your damn eyes and show me you are okay!"

Slowly Ruby opened her eyes and her blurry vision allowed her to see part of Regina's face. She had come to save her. The voice in her head had been a sign that Regina was actually on her way to save her. With strength she didn't have in her weak body, Ruby moved her face a bit so she could take in all of Regina. Between sobs of pain she was able to say _"you came"_. With those two words, Regina felt life taking back control of her body. Now she knew that Ruby wasn't dead and she felt as happy as she could be at a moment like that.

David handcuffed Whale to a pole in the room and promised he'd come get him later. Carefully, and trying not to hurt her, he picked Ruby up and carried her back to the hospital. Granny and Regina followed him as he walked down the hallways. They were all happy they had found Ruby, but they knew she still had a long recovery ahead of her. She would probably need stitches and maybe surgery to reconstruct her broken cheekbones. But all in all, they had been able to save Ruby and that's what mattered.

"Doctor said after surgery she will be fine. She has to stay in here for a week, give or take, but she will be just fine." Granny said as she sat between David and Regina. "Thank you, both of you, for saving my baby."  
"No thanks needed, Granny, it was something we all had to do." Regina said and then looked at David. "I know I was a bitch to you earlier this morning but I'm really grateful you came to help us."  
"Like you said, it was something we all had to do. I failed Ruby and you gave me the chance to right my mistakes. And from now on, you are not alone. You are not alone to protect Ruby. And you are not alone in this life."  
"Thank you, David."

Regina leaned back on the chair and closed her eyes. Who would have ever thought that she was going to team up with prince Charming to save the little wolf? She felt proud of herself because she had come so far from The Evil Queen she used to be back at home. Maybe now that she had been able to prove that she was in fact a good person, the Charmings would let her spend some time with Henry and allow her to prove him that she could be the good mother that he wanted her to be. Regina felt she was beginning to live again and she had Ruby to thank for that.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hi sweetie." Granny said as he walked into Ruby's hospital bedroom. "How are you feeling?"  
"A bit better, but my cheeks still hurt."  
"Son of a bitch broke your cheekbones, of course they hurt. But the doctor said it's healing pretty fast and you'll be able to go home soon."  
"Good, I hate hospitals and being in a bed twenty-four-seven is driving me insane!"  
"I can imagine, you are one hyper and active wolf." Granny laughed and sat on the chair next to the bed. "Has Regina been visiting you?"  
"Every day, twice a day."  
"That is a lot! I'm proud of her, she's been acting like a good woman."  
"She is a good woman, Granny. She saved my life."  
"And for that I'm forever grateful, wolfy."  
"So am I. I'm also thankful to David, he stepped up and defended me."  
"It was about time!"  
"How did you convince him to help?"  
"It wasn't me, it was Regina."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. Apparently he had visited her at her office and said he was ready to help if she allowed him to do so. From what I know she said no at the beginning but once you were missing she called him and asked for his help. It took a lot of courage for The Evil Queen to call Prince Charming and ask for help."  
"I can't believe she did that."  
"I can." She looked at her granddaughter laying down on the bed with bruises all over her face. "Regina cares a lot about you Ruby and she wants the best for you no matter what."  
"You think so?"  
"I know so! She wouldn't have teamed up with one of her enemies to go save you, if she didn't care about you. She was worried sick when she found out you were missing and she didn't leave the hospital until you woke up. Now you tell me she visits you twice a day, so yes, that means she cares about you more than what she's showing."  
"I care about her too, Granny. Regina walked into my life at the perfect time. I was falling down and I didn't want to continue, I just wanted to give up, but she gave me the strength to keep going." Ruby made a pause remembering the day in which Whale had kidnapped her. "When Whale was punching me, I was about to give up but I heard Regina's voice telling me to hold on and wait for her. A few minutes later, all of you arrived and I saw her face before I passed out. She's my savior."  
"I know she is, Ruby, and I am glad you have her."  
"Do you think I should fight for her Granny? Do you think I should give myself a chance to love The Evil Queen?"  
"I don't think anything. I know you have to fight for her and I know you have to give yourself a chance to love her. Despite what she has done to us in the past, she is a good woman and she is trying to right all her wrongs. She saved you because she wants to protect you and in a way she wants to give herself a chance to love again."  
"I guess I'm going after the Mayor." Ruby smiled a bit and then bounced in pain as her cheeks started hurting again.

Regina was working in her office for a while before she went to the hospital to visit Ruby. For the last few days all she had done was wake up, go to the hospital, go to her office, go back to the hospital, watch Ruby fall asleep and then go back home to sleep and repeat the same routine the next day. She didn't complain about any of it because she loved spending time with the young woman. When she wasn't at the hospital, they were texting or talking on the phone just counting the minutes until her next visit. She had fallen more and more for the wolf in the last few days and she didn't know how to handle her feelings.

"Hey." David said as he walked into her office without knocking. "I know, I didn't knock."  
"At least you know your mistakes, Mr. Nolan." She laughed. "What can I do for you, David?"

David had come to care about Regina in the last days. He had seen her suffering over Ruby's pain and he had become her confident. They talked about her feelings for Ruby from time to time and how scared she was to fall for someone she could never see herself falling for. But David knew true love happened no matter what you thought or dreamed about, it was just a magical thing.

"I was wondering if you were going to see Ruby tonight."  
"Indeed I am, why?"  
"I have a letter from Snow and wanted you to give it to her."  
"Let's be clear I am doing this for you and for Ruby, not for your wife."  
"I know and I appreciate it." He left the letter on her desk. "How's Ruby doing? I haven't had the chance to visit her these last two days."  
"She's doing better. Doctor says she's healing pretty fast and can go home soon, but her cheeks still hurt when she talks or smiles or laughs."  
"Well, he broke her cheekbones completely so pain is expected."  
"It is, but you should see her face when pain takes over her, it makes me wanted to kill the bastard."  
"Speaking of which, we have him under custody and we wanted to know what exactly you want us to do with him."  
"I will handle him tomorrow. It's Saturday and I don't work so I'll have all the time in the world to deal with him."  
"Regina, don't do anything stupid."  
"He's the stupid one if he believes he can hurt Ruby and get away with it." She looked at David. "From the beginning you've known I was going to handle him my way, David."  
"I do, but I don't want him to get to you. You've been good and Henry knows that, so I wouldn't want you doing something that would throw back your relationship with your son."  
"I have to teach my son how to protect the people he loves."  
"By killing Whale?"  
"Who said I was going to kill him? I am just going to make him suffer like he made Ruby."  
"I'll make sure you have the sheriff station all to yourself tomorrow."  
"Thank you."  
"You're welcome." He made a pause to find the right words. "When are you going to tell Ruby how you feel about her?"  
"Never."  
"Oh come on, Regina, we've talked about this."  
"David, I have no intentions on telling her how I feel. I like things as they are."  
"Wouldn't you want to have more than what you have now? To actually be able to hold her and kiss her and call her yours?"  
"I don't need that to be happy."  
"We all do Regina; we all need someone to love and to love us back. You can find that in Ruby."  
"When did you become my love life counselor?"  
"I don't know, but the title fits me." He laughed. "Let yourself love again, Regina, you deserve it."  
"I will think about it."

Regina drove to the hospital as everything David said played over and over again through her mind. A part of her knew he was right and she should give herself a chance to love again. But the other part of her knew she didn't want to hurt Ruby in anyway. She felt like every time she allowed herself to love someone, she ended up losing that person one way or another. She had loved Daniel and her mother killed him, she had loved Henry and he hated her for her past. Somehow her past always caught up with her and threw her back to the darkness.

Ruby was sitting in her hospital bed trying to eat the ice cream they had given her for dinner. It was all she could eat because eating anything else made her cheeks hurt and she was so tired of feeling pain. She was tired of being reminded of everything Whale had done to her that day. Her heart ached every time she looked at Granny and saw how much pain she held for her granddaughter. Her body ached every time Regina walked into the room and her eyes filled with tears knowing that she could have done more to save the wolf. She didn't want that anymore. Ruby wanted to be her strong self again and she was going to get that back tonight when she told Regina how she felt.

"Hello wolfy." Regina said as she sat on the chair next to Ruby's bed. "How are you feeling today?"  
"I am feeling much better." She smiled. "How are you?"  
"Exhausted, work is killing me."  
"Lay here, on the bed, with me."  
Regina did as she was told and wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "I missed you today, Ruby."  
"I missed you too, Regina."  
"Isn't it weird that we miss each other?"  
"Not at all." She looked at the older woman who was laying next to her. "I have feelings for you, Regina, so I do not find it weird that I spend most of my day missing you or thinking about you."  
"You have feelings for me?"  
"I do."  
"Good."  
"Good?"  
"Yes, because I have feelings for you too."  
"You do?"  
"Yes, Ruby, I do. And I spend all my day thinking about your or missing you and trying to find ways to be by your side without being a creeper."  
"You'd never be a creeper, I'd love for you to be by my side all day long."  
"I wish that was possible."  
"It is."  
"No, it's not."  
"Why not?"  
"Because, somehow, no matter what I do, the people I love always end up getting hurt or leaving my life one way or another."  
"The people you love?"  
"I don't mean that I love you, at least not yet. But I know if I let myself fall into this relationship, I'll end up falling for you and that will mean that you will either get hurt again or leave my life, and I don't want that."  
"So basically you are saying no to a beautiful thing we could have together because you don't have a good past when it comes to love?"  
"Yes."  
"That's bullshit!" Ruby moved a bit so she could face Regina. "Pure bullshit. You are afraid this could be something real and I could actually show you what being loved means. You are afraid you might get to love me more than what you loved Daniel and feel like you are betraying his memory. But he is long gone, Regina, and you should give yourself the chance to love again and feel loved. So instead of hiding on ridiculous excuses, allow your heart to dive into this relationship and let me show you what a good relationship can be like."  
"I…I have no words."  
"Finally, for the first time no words. Don't think, Regina. Stop thinking, just feel. Feel with your heart."  
"You have to be patient with me because I will not pour my feelings out that easily. You have to understand that I've been hurt before and I don't know how to love."  
"I will be patient with you because I want to have you in my life. I've been hurt too but I am willing to open my heart to you because that's what people do when they fall for someone."  
"I trust you, Ruby, please don't change that."  
"I will never do anything to lose your trust, Regina."

Regina knew she had no idea what she was getting herself into but she was willing to give Ruby the chance to teach her how to love again. She wanted to feel loved and wanted to share the love she had to give. It wouldn't be easy but something told her Ruby would not hurt her.


	6. Chapter 6

Whale was tied up to a chair. There were no visible signs of torture but the pain could be felt all over his body. Regina had been torturing him with magic for the last two hours. David had done her a favor by leaving Whale exactly where he had been torturing Ruby that day two weeks ago. It was his time to feel pain. It was her time to make him feel the way he had made Ruby feel. She would not let him get away with it and she would make him suffer.

"Regina stop it!" He screamed while she took a minute.  
"I'm pretty sure Ruby begged you to stop but you didn't, so why should I?"  
"Please! You've done enough!"  
"I don't think I have. I don't think my magic has hurt you as much as you hurt Ruby."  
"I won't do it again!"  
"Of course you won't. There is no way I'm letting you come near Ruby ever again."

Regina looked at him and found herself enjoying the torture. That was the part of her that truly represented The Evil Queen. When she did things like that, she truly lived up to the name they had given her back at home. She didn't enjoy being evil but she enjoyed revenging Ruby. Doing this, torturing Whale, was the only thing she could do to defend the wolf.

She looked into Whale's eyes and used her magic to tighten the rope around his chest. She saw him struggling for air and trying to form the right words to make Regina stop. But no matter how hard he tried, she wouldn't stop. She took her time, tightening the rope harder and harder each time. He closed his eyes and tried his best to breathe and that's when she stopped the pressure around his chest. Whale's face was red from the struggling and he couldn't talk. He was hyperventilating, or at least he felt he was because there was no air in his lungs.

"Are…you…enjoying…this?" Whale asked as he tried to breathe properly. "You…are…evil."  
Regina walked up to him and talked straight on his face. "I am evil when I have to be, dear. What about you? Do you consider yourself evil? Or you hitting Ruby wasn't evil at all?"  
"I…am…sorry."  
"Now you are sorry?" She let out an evil laugh. "You broke her cheekbones Whale! You smacked her around for months and now you're sorry? You are such a pathetic human."  
"I shouldn't…have hurt…Ruby." His breathing was almost back to normal. "I'm sorry."  
"I don't care!"

Hearing him say he was sorry made her even angrier, it made her blood boil insider her body and all she wanted to do was hurt him. She couldn't believe how pathetic he was. He spent the last months hurting Ruby and now when he found himself in trouble he tried to save himself. She hated him. She hated him with every inch of her body. How could a man be such a coward?

Regina closed her eyes to concentrate and used all her power to lift Whale's chair up and hit him against the wall. She didn't open her eyes; she could hear Whale screaming in pain. The sound his body, and the chair, had made against the wall sounded as though she had broken some of his bones. He deserved it, he deserved being smacked against walls and screaming in pain.

As she opened her eyes, she used her magic to put the chair back on it's place. She looked at him. She studied his expression. All she could see was pain. He kept biting his lip to avoid screaming out but she knew he was dying to let out a whining sound. Regina knew she shouldn't, but she was enjoying his pain. Once again, she used her magic to tighten the rope around his chest and slowly saw how he struggled for air, he couldn't breathe.

"You are pathetic, Whale. Ruby loved you, I don't see why but she did, and all you did was hurt her. She trusted you and you broke her trust. You got drunk every night and smacked her around." She moved closer to his face. "How pathetic do you have to be to hit a woman? How coward can you be to get drunk and hit the woman who loves you? I have no respect for you, Whale, and once I'm done with you, no one will ever respect you."  
"Are you…going to…kill me?" He asked while the rope kept tightening around his body.  
"Oh no, I am not going to kill you. You don't deserve that. You deserve to live a life of suffering. A life in which no one will ever respect you again. You will continue living in your stupid misery. I feel sorry for you, Whale, you are so pathetic it makes me sick to my stomach."

Regina kicked his chair down and used her magic to hit him over and over again against the floor. There was blood coming out of his mouth, he had bitten his tongue, and the torture was starting to leave signs on his body. She untied the rope and knew that there were marks underneath his shirt. She was done with him, she had done what she wanted to do and now she was done with him.

"Hello?" David said as he answered the phone.  
"David, I'm done."  
"Please tell me you did not kill him."  
"I made you a promise. I promised I wouldn't kill him and I didn't. He's alive but he will need medical attention. I think I broke a few bones in his body."  
"Regina!"  
"What? You didn't ask me not to break his bones."  
"How am I going to explain that a prisoner broke his bones?"  
"David, dear, I am the Mayor and I will not ask you such thing. I don't care what happens to him in custody."  
"Did torturing him make you feel any better?"  
"Much better."  
"Well I'm glad at least someone had a good time."  
Regina laughed at his comment. "This was my way of revenging Ruby. He hurt her more than we know, he deserved this."  
"I know he did. I just feel sorry the poor guy was up against you."  
"He was not up against me. He was tied up to a chair."  
"I do not ever want to be tied up to a chair and against you."  
"I had you in a prison cell once."  
"And I do not want to go through that ever again."  
"Thank you for letting me have him, David."  
"Just leaving him there and I'll pick him up soon."  
"Remember to take him to the hospital."  
"I will."

David had been the one to arrange everything so Regina could have her time with Whale. In the last couple of weeks, they had become friends and they both felt good about it. No one understood why they had become so close but they didn't care. David knew how it felt to want to protect the person you loved from a terribly bad force. Regina was now taking the role he had had when he defended Snow back at home.

"Regina!" Ruby ran towards the door as she saw the Mayor walking in. "Where have you been?! I was worried sick about you!"  
"Wolf calm down, your body heat is about to transform my house into a sauna."  
"Where were you!?"  
"At work."  
"Don't lie to me. David told me you were going to torture Whale."  
"Charming cannot keep a secret."  
"Are you okay?!"  
"Yes, I am."  
"What did you do?"  
"I made him feel the pain he had made you feel, don't worry about it."  
"He could have hurt you!"  
"Of course not. I have magic, he doesn't."

Ruby hugged Regina as tight as her weak body allowed her to do so. She had been worried about the older woman all day long. She knew what Whale was capable of and she had feared he would hurt Regina as he had hurt her. Part of her was happy because Regina was standing up for her. But the other part of her was just simply worried; she didn't want anything bad to happen to Regina.

"Do not ever do that again, Regina."  
"Well…I truly hope you never again have a boyfriend that hurts you that way."  
"I don't want any boyfriend." She looked into Regina's eyes. "I want you."  
"Ruby, we've talked about this."  
"I know we have but you still haven't asked me out on a date."  
"I told you I wanted to take things slow, wolf."  
"It's really sexy when you call me wolf."  
"Stop it, Ruby."  
"Come on, Regina. You said it yourself, you trust me."  
"Yes and I don't want that to change."  
"I won't do anything to change the way you feel about me."  
"I am still not asking you out on a date."  
"Then I guess I'll have to do it." Ruby moved closer to her. "Regina Mills, also known as The Evil Queen, will you go out on a date with me?"  
"Yes Ruby Lucas, also known as wolf, I will go out on a date with you."  
"We have a date, tomorrow night."  
"You better pay."  
"I will."

Regina smiled, genuinely smiled for the first time in a long time. She had defended Ruby that day and now she was going out with her. She had no idea what would happen between them, whether things would work or not, but she wanted to give the wolf a chance. No, she wouldn't let her into her heart but a date wouldn't hurt her.


	7. Chapter 7

Ruby had taken the guest room to get ready before their date that night. Her face was finally bruises free, which made her feel happy about herself, and her cheekbones didn't cause her any kind of pain when she talked or ate. She had chosen a short red dress, which meant she didn't need to wear a bra, and amazingly tall black heels. All she wanted was for that night to be special for Regina. She had put a lot of thought into their date and believed that was the only chance to prove the Mayor that she cared deeply about her. Ruby wasn't the kind of girl to get nervous about a date, but for the first time in her life she felt nothing but nervous.

Regina was getting dressed in the master bedroom. She had taken an hour long bath relaxing between bubbles, candles and her favorite music. A tight black dress was resting on her bed as she put on her silky thong and picked out red high heels to go with her outfit. Clothes were really important to her; she believed what you wore represented you and tonight she wanted to look elegant and classy but sexy at the same time. Never before had she been on a date with another woman. Like the wolf used to say, there's always a first time for everything.

"You've gone crazy, Regina." She said out loud as she looked at her reflection on the mirror.

In that moment, she thought about Daniel and about what he would have thought. She knew he would have never believed the fact that she was going out with another woman, someone who used to be her enemy. But then again, she would have never been in that house getting ready to go out on a date with a woman if Daniel were alive. She liked to believe he would have been happy for her. He had been the one to tell her to love again when Whale had brought him back to life for a few hours. Daniel had let her go, approving of her moving on, but she was the one who had such a hard time letting go of the past. She held onto her old life for way too long and it was time, on that night, to let go of everything that was holding her back. Her mother was dead, her father was dead, her fiancé was dead and her son barely spoke to her, she needed someone to share her life with and Ruby was the one knocking on her door asking for permission to spend their lives together. Tonight, Regina was ready to let Ruby in.

"Wow! You look beautiful." Ruby said as she saw Regina walking down the stairs. "Absolutely beautiful."  
"Thank you, dear." Regina flashed her sexy smile. "I wonder if you have clothes that aren't red."  
"Hey!"  
"I'm just kidding, wolf." She looked at her. "You look perfect."  
"Thank you. Shall we go?"  
"Are you driving?"  
"If you give me the keys to your Mercedes, yes."  
"You can have them."

It was the first time Regina allowed anyone but her to drive her precious car. Maybe it was true and there were first times for everything. None of them talked on the way to the restaurant. Ruby was going through everything she had planned on her mind, she wanted everything to work out properly and end up being perfect. Regina kept thinking about what people would say if they saw her walking into a restaurant on a date with Ruby. It was the first time they went out on public as a "couple". They weren't officially a couple yet, but Ruby was expecting that after that date she would finally be able to call Regina her _girlfriend_.

"Are you sure this is the right restaurant? It looks…closed."  
"That's because it's closed."  
"Then how are we going to have dinner here?"  
"We have the restaurant all to ourselves, Regina."  
"We do?"  
"Yes. I figured you wouldn't want to be seen with me in public when we aren't actually a couple…yet. So I called the owner, who likes to sleep with my grandma, and he said it was okay to have it just for ourselves tonight."  
"I can't believe you did that for me, Ruby."  
"I told you I care about you and what you feel. You deserve a special night without having to worry about what others may say."

Without thinking about it Regina kissed Ruby softly. It was the first kiss they've ever shared and it felt right. It wasn't a passionate kiss but it was a sweet kiss that proved both women care about each other. Regina had been fighting her feelings for a really long time and she was tired of it. She wanted to be with Ruby. She wanted to feel loved again. She wanted to have someone to come home to. She wanted to have someone to give her love to. Ruby was that someone. Ruby was the only person, in the last months, who had cared about her even when she was in her darkest place. Ruby had been the one to call her when she found out about Cora's death. That was it; Ruby was the one person Regina wanted to spend her life with. Daniel had been her first love, but Ruby was her true love and she wouldn't let her get away.

"That…that was nice." Ruby smiled.  
"Just nice?"  
"You know what I mean. It was the first time you kissed me."  
"And it won't be the last, wolf."

They sat at the table going over the menu trying to figure out what they would have for dinner. Their legs brushed against each other's from time to time and that made them realize that it was a real date. That for the first time they were acting like a couple. Ruby's confident had grown stronger after the kiss Regina had given her in the car. Now the wolf believed that she actually had a great chance to end up being Regina's _girlfriend_.

"This dinner is great." Regina said between bites. "Is he really sleeping with Granny?"  
"Oh yes!" Ruby laughed. "You all just like to believe that Granny is a badass with a crossbow but she is much more than that. She's a woman with needs."  
"Did she make you say that?"  
"Yeah, she had the whole speech prepared for me in case anybody else found out."  
Regina laughed and brushed her leg against Ruby's once again. "You are lucky to have her."  
"And she thinks I'm lucky to have you."  
"She does?"  
"Yes. She kept telling me how you were the only one who had been there for me when I needed help and how none of my "friends" were there for me. She is really mad at Snow and when I told her about Daniel, she called Snow and gave her a little talk."  
"Now I love your Granny even more."  
"Good, now we just need you to love me."  
"Who said I didn't already?"  
Ruby's eyes filled up with sparkles as she heard Regina. "Do you?"  
"You'll have to stick around and figure it out."  
"That's all I want. To stick around."

After dinner, both women sat on a bench in the mini patio just outside the restaurant. No one could be there since it was still part of the restaurant so they would be alone. Ruby took Regina's hand and they intertwined their fingers as they looked up to the sky. There were a few stars visible and they were all shinning just for them. The night was going great and both felt good about where their relationship was going.

"I've never been with another woman before." Regina said without looking away from the sky and without realizing Ruby had her eyes on her. "You are the first."  
"Does it bother you? Does it make you feel uncomfortable?"  
"At first it did. I was raised one way, completely different from the lives we live nowadays. Back then women married only men and if you liked any different you were an outcast, a weirdo." She took a deep breath. "That's how I felt when I realized I had feelings for you. I knew it wasn't right. Like, how could a woman have feelings for another woman? But then I understood love is love and it doesn't matter who you fall in love as long as you take care of each other and respect one and other."  
"You aren't a weirdo just for having feelings for another woman, Regina."  
"I know that now. But you have to understand, I was raised to be a Queen, to marry a King." She looked at the younger woman. "How did Granny take it when you started dating other women?"  
"Granny isn't the typical grandma and we don't have typical lives. I am a wolf, already different from the rest of the world. Granny understood my feelings and made me feel like there was nothing wrong. Because in reality there is nothing wrong with it. You are who you are and you love who you love, it doesn't matter what others think."  
"You make me feel like it's right even when my mind keeps telling me it isn't."  
Ruby placed her hand on Regina's chest right where her heart was beating. "This is the only organ in your body that can tell you who you love. No one else, not even your brain, can tell you who to love. You are free to have feelings for whoever your heart falls for."  
"Thank you, Ruby."  
"You're very welcome, Regina."

As they drove back home, Regina kept thinking about their previous conversation. She had been terrified of falling for another woman and Ruby had pushed all those fears away. The wolf was a strong confident woman that made the people around her feel better about themselves. She realized how big of an impact Granny had been on the younger woman's live and how supportive she had been; Regina wished she had had someone like Granny in her life. Yes, her father had been good to her, but he never showed how much he loved her because he was afraid of what his wife might do. She didn't want to feel like that when it came to loving Ruby. She wanted to feel free to show her feelings and emotions.

"I had a lovely time tonight, Regina. Thank you for letting me take you out."  
"No, thank you for taking me out. I had a really good time." Regina said as she took her high heels off and sat on the couch. "It was the first time I could have an honest conversation with someone."  
"I believe if we are going to have a relationship, we need to be honest with each other. We need to be able to trust the other in order for this to work."  
"Good thing I already trust you."

As Ruby saw Regina's figure in the darkness, she became aware of how much she actually loved The Evil Queen. Regina had opened up to her earlier, letting her know about her feelings and trusting her with a part of her life that she had never shared with anyone before. No matter what happened in their lives, whether they ended up together or not, Ruby would always be there to support Regina and let her know that there was nothing wrong with being who she was.

"Can I ask you something, Regina?"  
"Of course, wolf."  
"It may sound kind of childish, but I feel it is the right thing to do."  
"Go ahead."  
"Would you like to be my girlfriend?"  
"I would love to."

And just like that, after a wonderful date, The Evil Queen became the wolf's _girlfriend_.


	8. Chapter 8

It was raining like never before. Storybrooke was known for its constant storms and wind, but this time it was worse than ever. Trees were shaking so badly some of them had already fallen down. The windows made weird noises, that made people believe they would break any minute. It was dangerous to drive and if you did, you'd probably end up in an accident. There was no one out in the streets; they were all trying to stay as safe as possible.

"Just come home soon, Gina." Ruby said as she looked out the window. "Even your apple tree looks weak in the middle of the storm."  
"My tree is tough, don't worry. I will be home as soon as possible. Make sure you light up some candles, don't want my wolf alone in the darkness."  
"I'm a wolf, I'm not afraid of darkness."  
Suddenly, there was a thunderstorm and Regina could hear Ruby screaming. "Yes wolf, you were saying?"  
"Get your ass home and cuddle me, okay? And please drive safely, this storm is pretty nasty."  
"I will see you soon."

David walked into the sheriff station to start his night shift when he realized there was something wrong. He looked around and saw one of the cell's doors were open and Whale was gone. He stupidly took a look around the office just to make sure it was empty; obviously Whale wasn't there.

At the same time, Whale was walking around town trying to find an open store to buy alcohol. There was a tiny drug store opened where he bought a bottle of vodka and drank it on his way to find Ruby. He had heard Emma and David talking about Ruby and Regina living together, so he knew where the wolf would be that night. The alcohol had started taking over his body and he was no longer in control of his actions, or at least that was the excuse he came up with in his mine to justify what he was about to do. He wanted to make Ruby pay for Regina's torture. In fact, if he could, he would make both women pay and show them who the boss was.

Ruby had lightened up some candles in the living room and was waiting for Regina to get home. She had never been afraid of storms before but this time was different, she had a bad feeling. Suddenly, she heard a window breaking and weird noises in the kitchen. Ruby gripped the couch pillow and tried to stay calm; her body heat was raising and she could feel her skin getting hotter and hotter with every second that went by.

"Regina, is that you?"  
"Your precious little queen can't save you this time, wolf!"  
"Whale…what are you doing here?" She was trying her best not to cry.  
"I am here to make you pay. Your bitch of girlfriend thought she could torture me and get away with it."  
"Please, Whale, just leave me alone."  
"You think you can leave me and nothing will happen?"  
"You almost killed me last time. I had to leave you in order to stay alive."

Whale grabbed a casserole from the kitchen counter and hit Ruby on the head with it. For a minute he freaked out when he saw blood coming out of her head, but he took a big sip of vodka and the fear was gone. He had to think of a place to take her where no one would find them. But then he saw the basement door and realized if he kept Ruby there, Regina would find them and he would have a chance to hurt both of them. Stumbling down the stairs, he dragged her body with him and then tied her to a pole in the middle of the room. He needed a moment to recover his energy and finish his bottle of vodka.

Regina was trying to find her purse in the darkness of her office when her phone rang. "Madame Mayor."  
"Regina, it's David. We have a problem."  
"What's wrong?"  
"Whale's gone."  
"What do you mean Whale's gone?!"  
"He's not here at the station."  
"Where is he?!"  
"I don't know. I'm about to go around town to find him."  
"Oh my God! Ruby is home alone!"  
"Go home to Ruby; call me if he's there."

All Regina could think about was Whale hitting Ruby and it broke her heart. But it also made her furious. She knew how stupid Whale could be and that meant he was out there trying to find Ruby; if he hadn't found her yet. The storm was terrible and there was no way she could drive in the middle of it. She decided to use magic and immediately appear in her house.

Ruby had recovered her conscience and was in excruciating pain. She could feel the blood running down her face and a tight rope wrapped around her wrists, obviously leaving marks on her skin. Whale was nowhere to be seen which didn't make her feel safer, on the contrary, she felt in more danger than before. Why was this happening to her? Why was he trying to hurt her again? Hadn't he had enough? Ruby didn't want nor could control the tears any longer. She kept crying, hoping to pass out with exhaustion. And above all, she had no idea when Regina would get home or when someone would notice Whale wasn't in jail anymore. She could only wait and hope for the best, but given her situation, no good could happen any time soon.

"We should play a game." Whale said as he played with a knife in his hands. "Who screams big bad wolf first?"  
"I don't want to play. Just let me go."  
"If you scream," he said ignoring her, "I cut a line on your arms or legs with this knife."  
"Whale, just leave me the fuck alone!"  
"You screamed."

Whale moved closer to her and grabbed her leg. Ruby wiggled around trying to move away from him but it was impossible. He slowly dragged the knife over her leg leaving a superficial cut. She winced in pain but didn't scream, screaming would earn her another cut and she definitely didn't want that. The blood was slowly running down her leg, she focused on it and nothing else.

Regina appeared in the middle of her kitchen and saw the blood on the floor. A mix of anger and fear took over her body; she was now sure that Whale was in the house and had already hurt Ruby. She couldn't wait until she put her hands on the bastard and made him pay. That was it. Regina had made up her mind, tonight she was going to kill Whale and no one could convince her otherwise.

"Sheriff Nolan."  
"David, he's in my house. I don't know where, but he is here and there's blood on my kitchen floor."  
"Don't do anything, okay? I'm on my way."

Ruby could hear Regina upstairs and hoped Whale couldn't. All she had to do was find a way to distract him until Regina realized they were in the basement. But, what could she do? What kind of distraction could she create while being tied up to a pole that would distract him from the rest of the world? Moving wasn't an option, so she would have to use her words, really convincing words, to get his full attention. There was no more vodka, so luckily he would focus just on Ruby.

"Whale, I'm sorry I left you. Now I realize you are much better than Regina."  
"I am!"  
"I know that now. You are much better at pleasing me and loving me. She doesn't know how to do all those things."  
He sat down closer to her. "Will you love me again?"  
"I already do. I love you so much, Whale."  
"I love you too, Ruby. I promise I won't ever hurt you again, if you promise you'll be good."  
"From now on, I will behave. That's a promise. I don't want to upset you again, I was bad."  
"I'm glad you understand I didn't mean to hurt you. You were misbehaving and I had to punish you." He looked at her. "Also, you will have to control your body heat, it gets too hot and it bothers me."  
"I will." Ruby smiled thinking that was Regina's favorite thing about her.  
"Why are you smiling?"  
"Because I am so happy you've forgiven me. Thank you, Whale!"

Regina heard Ruby's voice and immediately realized it was coming from the basement. She started walking down the stairs as slowly and quietly as possible. If Whale heard or saw her, her plan would be ruined. As she got closer to the floor, she could see Ruby tied up to a pole and Whale sitting close to her with his back to the stairs. Regina started walking towards them and with her magic was able to push Whale against the wall.

"Are you okay, Ruby?"  
"I'm fine. I knew you would find me."  
"I'm always here for you, wolf."

She used her magic to untie Ruby and at the same time pressure Whale's body so he couldn't breathe. All she had to do was take his heart out and squeeze it until it was nothing but ashes as gray as his soul. Using the same rope he used to tie Ruby, Regina tied his hands behind his back and to the pole. She went to Ruby and pulled her into a sweet and loving hug. She looked pretty bad, but her wolf was now safe.

"What did he do to you?"  
"It doesn't matter, Gina."  
"Ruby, I want to know what he did."  
"I don't know how he got here, but he was in our kitchen. When I asked him to leave, he hit me with a casserole and next thing I know, I'm tied up to a pole in the basement." Tears filled her eyes. "Then he said if I screamed, he would cut me. I screamed once and he did a cut on my leg."  
"I'm so sorry, Ruby. I tried to get here as fast as possible. David told me he was missing and I just knew he would be here."  
"You saved me, Regina. Once again you've saved me."  
"It will be the last time, he won't ever touch you again."  
"How can you be so sure?"  
"Because I am going to kill him."  
"What?! Regina no!"  
"Don't you want him gone?"  
"I do, but what about you? You will go to jail."  
"It's self-defense, Ruby."  
"I don't want you to do that for me."  
"I am doing it for both of us. How can we live knowing that he is always going to try to hurt you? I can't live with the fear of leaving you alone and coming home to a dead body. I love you so much, Ruby, and I cannot lose you."  
"Regina…"  
"Please don't try to change my mind."  
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"  
"Yes, I am. This is our only option."  
"I love you, Regina."

Regina knelt down in front of Whale and looked into his eyes. He was a pathetic little bastard and there wasn't a single drop of regret in him for all the pain he had caused Ruby. She knew if they sent him back to jail, he would find a way to run away and hurt the younger woman. Regina couldn't let that happen. She pushed her hand into his chest and then pulled it out holding his heart. It was black, filled with evil and anger. There was nothing good in his heart and that made killing him much easier.

"Anything you would like to say before I kill you?"  
"Yes." Whale said. "Your girlfriend is a slut."

Just as Regina was about to squeeze his heart, someone fired a gun and blood fell on the basement's floor, filling the room with the smell of death.


	9. TO MY READERS

**TO ALL MY READERS OUT THERE, I AM REALLY SORRY IT'S TAKING ME SO LONG TO UPDATE. SCHOOL IS KEEPING ME REALLY BUSY. THE NEXT UPDATE FOR THIS STORY WILL BE BY THE END OF THE MONTH AND THEN IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. ONCE AGAIN, I AM SORRY IT TAKES ME LONGER TO UPDATE NOWADAYS. I HONESTLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU READ MY STORY AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP GIVING YOU GUYS MORE. I WILL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU!**


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